The accidents occured over a 5-mile stretch of roadway in the eastbound lanes between the Willow Grove and Bensalem/U.S. Route 1 exits, which spans Montgomery and Bucks Counties.

Social media erupted with first-hand accounts and well wishes to those impacted by the crashes. Motorists stood at a standstill for miles behind the crash.

Dana Goodman was stuck behind the crashes en route to work. He got out of his car and walked 3 miles to shoot photos up and down the highway.

Major Pileup on Pa. Turnpike

“I made the crazy choice not to go down City Line Avenue because there are so many potholes and instead I took the turnpike, a very bad choice,” said Goodman.

Alternate travel routes were announced by the PA Turnpike, but traffic remained a headache for hours.

Photos posted to social media depicted just how serious the accidents were. Photos showed cars that had spun out, collided with tractor trailers and ended up flipped over. The social media images looked just like a scene out of a movie. But, the images were real.

The Turnpike Mess

A look from a nearby overpass of the wreckage along the eastbound lanes of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.